Talented And Gifted Students Create Charitable Projects

Michael Walsh, The Hartford Courant

Teddy Sweeney, right, and Jake Reynolds, left, work on their Minecraft server. The server will be used to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project and is an assignment for their talented and gifted outreach program at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield.

Teddy Sweeney, right, and Jake Reynolds, left, work on their Minecraft server. The server will be used to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project and is an assignment for their talented and gifted outreach program at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield. (Michael Walsh, The Hartford Courant)

Enfield middle school students are working to benefit the local area with community projects

Students in the talented and gifted outreach program at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield are working on projects to help benefit the community.

Teacher Brian Zawodniak said the projects are meant to get the students working outside of their school by having them interact with organizations and community members. He started the outreach program last year.

"I want them to go beyond the walls of JFK and do something impactful and meaningful," Zawodniak said.

The students were split into three groups, each with their own unique focus on charity and goodwill.

Students Cassandra Dean, Emma Branson and Carrington Ruffin chose to collect money and food donations for the Enfield Food Shelf.

"We wanted to solve a community problem like hunger," said Cassandra, a 12-year-old sixth-grader. "We chose the food shelf so we could help try to decrease the amount of people who go hungry."

The group has already raised $130 for the Enfield Food Shelf by holding a hat day at school. Students who wanted to wear a hat could donate a dollar to the cause. Soon they will hold a canned food drive at the school.

"The point is to know that it's important to go outside of the box and talk to different people," said Emma, an 11-year-old sixth grader. "We talked to a few people at the food shelf."

Cassandra, Emma and Carrington said it was a new experience to have to talk with adults from an organization like that. They hope to soon volunteer at the Enfield Food Shelf after school.

Students Nate Messier, Trent Tozian, Teddy Sweeney and Jake Reynolds took a different approach with their community project. They are using their love for the popular computer video game Minecraft to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Their plan is to create their own Minecraft server and have players purchase in-game items with real money that will then be donated to their cause. They chose the Wounded Warrior Project because two of them have an interest in World War II history and all of them have family members who have served in the military.

"I like it because it's an opportunity for us to do something other than the normal school activities," said Nate, an 11-year-old sixth-grader. "And it's good because it's raising money for charity."

They all said they never thought they'd be able to do something Minecraft-related in school, but they are glad they are able to use something that appeals to younger people to help military veterans.